7 March 2011: Convened from 28 February-4 March 2011 in Geneva, Switzerland, in the framework of the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC) of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the third intersessional working group advanced in technical discussions regarding intellectual property (IP) and genetic resources.

Participating experts worked in plenary and in an open-ended drafting group. The resulting text on objectives and principles contains five main objectives on conditions for access to and use of genetic resources, the prevention of erroneous patents, information systems to enable patent offices to make proper decisions in granting patents, the relationship between IP and other relevant international agreements and processes, and the role of the IP system in relation to genetic resources. The group also undertook an extensive discussion of several options for future work, including a proposed mandatory disclosure requirement, defensive databases and IP clauses in mutually agreed terms for access and equitable benefit-sharing.

Discussion outcomes will be submitted to the IGC meeting from 9-13 May 2011. [WIPO Press Release][Meeting Webpage]